Leo
by Imperial Mint
Summary: Written for MarcoAce Week Day 7. Ace is a shape-shifting fire snake who forms an attachment to humans. He infiltrates their tribes wanting to know more, and while he knows there's a reason they are an apex predator, Ace also finds something else in their company, something kinder and softer - acceptance and love.


**Pairing:** Ace/Marco  
 **Notes:** Written for Day 7 of MarcoAce week 2015. All my days are a bit mixed up, but 5 and 6 will be here eventually! I was looking for mythical fire creatures and I found this one. It seemed a perfect fit, though I have taken a few liberties with its abilities and such. Thank you to lunarshores for betaing, and I hope you all enjoy!

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From the moment he had been born, Ace had been alone. He'd hatched, briefly met one or two of his clutch siblings, and moved on, seeking a warm home, one better than any other. It had to be warm, dark and comforting, and that was it really. Boitatá weren't too particular about where they made their homes as long as they fit the criteria of being warm and dry. So Ace had set off, slithering over the land for what felt like decades (it was probably days, at most), to find a cave at the edge of a human settlement.

Ace was proud of his cave. It was dry, with thermal currents breezing through, and while he hadn't ventured that far down yet (young boitatás had to be careful not to get too hot in their first years), Ace could feel that his cave linked to underground volcanic caves. So it was warm and dry, the two qualities boitatás needed, and Ace set about making it comfortable. He gathered rocks, small in the first months of his life, then larger ones when he grew, and tended to the small cave plants. He welcomed other animals, though if they got too close, Ace would hiss at them. All in all, he build a decent home, and Ace was proud.

Occasionally, the scent of a female would trail into his cave, and Ace would move to the entrance slowly, tongue flicking out to taste the air. He'd always recoil though, shift into something with powerful legs, and bolt back into his cave, as far back as he could. No female ever intruded upon his home, and that was the way Ace wanted to keep it. For some reason, Ace didn't want to meet another boitatá, even if it was his supposed biological role in the world.

Shapeshifting occurred naturally to Ace, as it did to all of his species. He mastered cave-dwelling animals easily, practicing other objects he could find. When he was old enough, Ace ventured out of his cave, learning new animals to shift into. He liked the monkeys a lot, loved chasing them through the trees, and he learnt how to shift into a heavy jaguar and how to hunt. It was easier than in his snake form, for as an adult boitatá, he was larger than any animal he had seen, and cumbersome. His shifting abilities took away the difficulty there, though, and Ace felt no remorse for chasing down the monkeys he had frolicked with the day before, all for a good meal.

That was Ace's life, really. He spent his days in his cave, for his species were blind to the day, and nights roaming the jungle, either hunting or learning from the nature around him. Ace never expected anything to change, but things did.

It all started when Ace was running through the trees. He was a monkey, small with a tail he could grab onto trees with, and he followed the troop he'd asked to join. They were wary of him, but they tolerated him, and it wasn't long before Ace realised they had another reason to be wary. They were headed straight for human territory, and this tribe were active hunters. Ace had seen the results of their hunts, had almost been subject to one himself, and he understood why the troop was wary.

The opportunity for food was well worth the risk, and Ace soon found himself sneaking into homes, and gorging on the fruit there with delight. He listened to the other monkeys chittering to each other, and laughed. Humans were ridiculous. They left food around, as if they wanted the monkeys to come, and then got angry when they did?

Halfway through a banana, Ace noticed the shadows outside growing. A few calls from the monkeys confirmed his suspicions. The humans were gathered in the central part of their home, a huge fire dominating the area. They were dancing, singing and cheering, and the monkeys scattered as people neared the houses, laughter bubbling around them.

Ace remained, though. He wasn't sure why, but he stayed, banana in his hand, and made a rash decision. He'd tried to turn into a human before and it had worked, so there was no trouble this time. He shifted, focusing on becoming like their young, and managed to escape the house before anyone noticed him.

As he wandered around the houses, Ace could hear voices. He couldn't understand what they were saying, but he was curious, and drifted towards the centre of the village. A huge man stood, laughing and calling out across the area, while a man with three scars over his eyes stood at his side, holding something in the air. Everyone seemed to cheer before raising a strange object to their lips, cheering again when they lowered it.

Humans were strange, Ace thought, and he poked his tongue out, scenting the air. The huge fire was calling to him, boitatás were fire spirits after all, but he resisted, knowing that throwing himself into a fire wasn't a human thing to do. If he wanted to learn more about these strange creatures, he'd have to stick to their strange rules.

He did join the people though, and no one paid him much attention. He was small, young, enough that not much notice was paid to him, and Ace was able to sneak food and even join in the celebrations.

Of course, his luck couldn't hold out for too long, and Ace felt someone grab his shoulder, a man with sun-bright hair and deeply tanned skin staring down at him with a frown. He said something, but Ace had no idea what, for he'd never learnt the language of humans, but he seemed to be gesturing at the fact Ace was naked and looking around for some sort of caretaker.

Ace didn't really get the intricacies of human behaviour, but he knew a smile could do a lot. He grinned, the man stopped, and Ace took the opportunity to scamper off into the crowd. With a quick glance, he noticed that he really was the only naked one – everyone at least wore brightly coloured sashes and loincloths – so Ace fashioned one for himself, out of his natural skin. It was easy for a boitatá to shift in and out, and while Ace liked this human form, he wanted to pay tribute to what he had been born as. His loincloth garnered some attention, the more aware humans whispering as he ran past, gorging himself on all the food he could find. They called to him, hands trying to catch Ace, but he was much too fast and sneaky for them.

The fires began to die down, as did the celebrations. Ace knew he had to head off home before the sun broke the skies fully, and he shifted into a bird, watching the remainder of the party before he set off home. He felt a little regretful he hadn't seen the man with the sun-bright hair again, but he was running out of time, and only just made it to his cave in time before the sun rose.

Instantly, Ace's world grew cloudy, and he shifted into his huge snake form. His eyes became milky, the world hidden to him so long as the sun ruled the skies, and he curled up tightly, sleep overtaking him quickly. It had been a while since he'd had such an active night.

Ace woke well before nightfall, and he felt his heart beat with excitement for the sun to die down. When night truly hit, Ace's eyes cleared, and he knew the secrets the earth had tried to keep hidden. He knew that multiple tribes had gathered in the village last night, and that the celebrations were to congratulate a new alliance. Ace knew they'd be gathered again tonight, and he shifted into a monkey form, hurtling through the trees in his eagerness to get to the party.

Everyone was already in full feasting swing, and Ace watched for a while, listening to the delicacies of their language. He closed his eyes as he did so, and his powers absorbed the knowledge, sinking the language into Ace's brain. He'd be able to understand tonight, such was the magic of the boitatá, and he moved to the outskirts in order to shift to a human form.

With his new language skills, Ace wanted to communicate with these humans. He wanted to understand them more, maybe get to know them. While all the animals of the jungle were intelligent, there was none that fascinated Ace in the same way humans did. They were capable of such amazing things, and he wanted both to learn from them and teach them. This meant he couldn't be a child, and he shifted into a young man, an older version of the form he'd taken yesterday. It was who Ace was, and while he would be able to mimic other humans, no one else would look like him.

No one paid too much attention to him, and Ace headed for the food first of all. That was another perk of being with the humans. They knew what to do with their food, and it was incredibly tasty.

"Which clan do you belong to?" a deep voice said at Ace's side, and he tore his eyes away from a huge strip of meat that was cooking on one of the smaller fires. There was a small space around Ace, and he stared at the sun-haired man, trying to figure him out.

His loincloth was stained a deep blue, and he wore a collar of iridescent feathers. A huge mark was tattooed on his chest, the colour matching his loincloth, and Ace instinctively knew this man was important. Perhaps not the chief of the tribe, but close to that level.

Ace tilted his head, poking his tongue out of his lips slightly, a force of habit more than anything. The man crossed his arms over his chest, and Ace smiled a little.

"You were a child yesterday," the man said, and oh how Ace loved how smart this one was. "You flaunt the skin of a legend around your waist, yet you have not approached us with any threats or bargains."

The man's eyes narrowed, and Ace felt someone approach them. They headed for the food, and the man nodded for Ace to follow him, stepping into a quieter part of the village. He was probably going to turn to Ace and carry on with his boring topic, but Ace had a few questions of his own he wanted answered first.

"Why celebrate?" he said, voice thick. He stumbled a little on the 'c' sound, and curled his tongue in his mouth, wrinkling his nose. "Celebrate," he repeated, cementing the proper sound with a nod.

"We are at peace," the man said instantly, a look of relief on his face. "All of us have suffered over the past few years, but now we are at peace, so we celebrate."

Ace nodded, taking in the information as if it was a succulent mango. It felt great to learn new things, to interact with this human and learn their customs.

"I've always lived in peace," Ace said, and the man looked him up and down. "In the jungle. In my cave."

The man looked a little taken aback, but his eyes drift to the boitatá skin visible around Ace's waist. Ace wondered if he'd be clever enough to put the pieces together, and waited.

"You have met a fire-snake?" the man asked, and Ace grinned widely. Close, but not quite. The man seemed to have been expecting that, though, for he continued on. "You are one of the shapeshifters?"

To answer his question, Ace shifted into an identical copy of the man himself, puffing his now-tattooed chest out. The man took a step back, mouth falling open, before he shook his head, fingers gently prodding the flesh of Ace's arm.

"What are you?" he asked, though it didn't really seem as if it was directed at Ace, but a rhetorical question.

"A boitatá," Ace said with a victorious smile, letting his human form drop. In snake form, he easily towered over the man, but he didn't seem frightened. Even when Ace let the ridges along his vertebrae crackle with fire, the man simply watched in fascination, hand twitching as if he wanted to reach out and touch Ace's scales. He didn't, though, and Ace shifted back into his human form, fashioning a golden snake-shaped necklace to sit against his collar.

"My name is Ace," he said, and the man broke into a wide smile, dipping his head.

"Marco," he greeted warmly, eyes breaking from Ace to watch a group of children run past, laughing in delight. Ace could sense Marco's contentment with the peace, and he suddenly didn't want to return to his lone cave. He wanted to share what these people had, their food and their laughter, and Ace knew that he could do it. He had the knowledge of worlds at his disposal. Ace could figure out a way to stay.

"Why are you here?" Marco said, though he seemed more curious than worried that Ace would steal someone away for dinner.

"I want to learn," Ace said, though it was only partially true. If Ace wanted to know everything about humans, all he needed to do was pluck at the thread of knowledge the world presented him. Boitatá knew everything, quite literally, but it wasn't the same as being taught.

"You think we have something to teach you?" Marco asked, eyes wide and voice incredulous. Ace resisted the urge to shift and curl himself around Marco, stepping closer and peering into his eyes instead.

"I know you do," he said, and grinned, marching off back to the food.

It was a while before he saw Marco again, and Ace knew a few others had been made aware of his presence, from the looks they shot him and how their eyes darted down to his loincloth. No one made any specific reference to his species when they spoke with him, and indeed seemed to be of the opinion that Ace was from an unknown tribe, had stumbled upon the village randomly, and the skin was one he had found. Which was ridiculous. The only reason Ace would shed a skin would be to perform one of the few sacred rituals his species had. Otherwise, he'd simply burn old skin away. Humans really were dumb sometimes.

The fires were dying down when Marco did return to his side, and he nodded for Ace to follow him, his collar of feathers brushing Ace's shoulder as he moved past. Ace had never been a fan of birds – there was not enough food on them and the eggs were a pain to crush – but he found himself fascinated now. He wanted to hiss at himself. His human form was making him think strange things of this human.

"Our Chief wanted to meet with you," Marco said, and Ace followed his gaze to a huge man. He had strange facial hair, and Ace felt an urge to copy it. He rubbed his upper lip, sprouted hair there, then promptly decided to get rid of it. It was itchy, and he had no idea how the Chief was coping.

Without a word, the Chief led them to a large tent, clearly his own home. He gestured for Ace to sit beside a small fire pit, and Ace was joined by the other two.

"I thought it best to tell the rest of my clan that you are human," the Chief said, and Ace nodded. He'd be able to learn more that way, really. "And I want you to know that if you harm any member of my family, I'll kill you with my bare hands, legendary creature or not."

Ace's eyes flickered to the Chief, and he wanted to smile. He froze at the look, though, and fought the urge to shift into his snake form, blazing as a clear threat. He wasn't used to being challenged, though this man meant no real harm, and Ace took a shaky breath.

"I'd rather help protect you," Ace said. "I find humans fascinating," he said, hissing a little on the softer letters.

The Chief didn't look overly pleased with the answer, but he nodded tightly. If he'd been expecting Ace to make a pledge or give him a token of assurance, well, that wasn't how it worked. Ace knew a lot of stories that had risen up about his kind, and he had a feeling this Chief expected him to enter some sort of magical contract with him for protection. There was only one spell Ace could make with a human (or other species capable of intelligence on a boitatás level), and that required a shed skin and a life's promise. It wasn't for Ace, not at all.

"My name is Whitebeard," the Chief said, and Ace noticed he wore a collar of small bones that were marked and adorned with small crystals. It marked his status, and Ace felt a little pride at the snake on his own throat. It was more impressive than this Chief's, and even if he grew to like this Whitebeard, Ace wanted something that showed who – what – he was.

"Marco will take care of you and any questions you may have. He's been in many battles and is one of our strongest tribesmen. He is intelligent too, though I hope he can learn from you." Whitebeard fixed Ace with a heavy look, and he suddenly felt incredibly young, almost as young as he had when he'd set out from his mother's clutch site. Whitebeard seemed to know something, and if Ace's senses weren't impeccable, then he might think Whitebeard was a boitatá too.

Marco seemed as clueless as Ace, at least, and they outlined a plan. Ace would return to his cave – he was very clear on this, that was his home and it was comfortable – in the day time, and return when he was able to see again. He'd spend time learning from their people, Marco even offering to adjust his sleep schedule (apparently humans weren't always nocturnal, though the best hunters should be).

"The sun will be up soon," Whitebeard said eventually, and patted Ace's shoulder on his way out of the tent. He smiled warmly, whispering to Ace he was part of the family now, regardless of whether his human form was permanent or not, and Ace was left to shift into a bird with confused thoughts.

He returned to his cave just in time, shifting and heading towards the back, near the heated thermal currents. His body relaxed as he let fire smooth over his scales, drifting off easily. His dreams were full of Marco and the human tribe, though, and Ace woke with a smile, eager to return.

At the back of his mind, Ace wondered if he should have been born a human, but he stamped that thought out quickly. He was proud to be a boitatá, even if, with every passing day, it became harder and harder to leave the tribe and return to his cave. Ace wasn't one of them, though, and while the thought had comforted him at the beginning, he wondered if being different was such a good thing.

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Though he'd never admit it to them, Ace loved humans. He loved the excitement and carefree nature of the children, loved the harmony of the adults, and loved how they all worked together. Few arguments broke out that were not solved in seconds, and Whitebeard watched over his tribe with scrutiny, understanding them as Ace understood the jungle.

They might not have started off on the best of terms, but Ace and Whitebeard had grown fond of each other. Ace showed the tribe the best places in the jungle to hunt, led them to the better watering grounds, and Whitebeard often called upon Ace for his expertise and opinion.

"The rains will be coming soon," Whitebeard said, staring up at the skies. Ace frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. He hated the rain, it muted his fire and seemed to block up his senses. Still, it was part of his home, and without the rains, there would be no life.

"You'll want to be wary of a few of the trees over there," Ace said, pointing to a cluster of trees. They looked stable enough, but they were almost completely devoid of life – dead. They'd likely fall in the rains and cause some trouble if nothing was done.

Whitebeard patted Ace's shoulder and grumbled something about getting some youths to take care of it. Ace smiled and excused himself, hoping that Marco had come back from his hunting trip by now.

He hadn't, unfortunately, and Ace wandered around the village. His presence was a familiar one now, and while no one out rightly called Ace a boitatá, they all seemed to know the truth by now. It had been months, Ace supposed, and he was proud of how clever the Whitebeard tribe were. He'd have been disappointed if they still thought him an odd nomadic human.

"Ace!" someone shouted, and Ace found himself facing Jinbe. He was a member of one of Whitebeard's allies, and had been teaching Ace about the ocean, where his tribe lived. Ace might have liked to visit it, if not for the ridiculous amount of water, so he listened to stories instead, satisfying his curiosity in other ways.

Jinbe was halfway through telling Ace about whales when the village erupted into greetings. It seemed Marco's hunting party was finally back, and Jinbe laughed as Ace ran off, scrambling to see Marco.

He stopped, as did many others, when they took in the sight of the hunting party. Ace felt his body jerk, and he muttered an apology as he bumped into someone. Thatch shook it off, wrapping an arm around Ace's shoulders as a pale-faced Marco walked straight to Whitebeard, torso covered in dark, crusting blood. The scent stuck to Ace's nostrils, and he knew it belonged to Marco.

"What happened?" people were asking, and Ace shifted where he stood, taking the hand that Thatch had slung over his shoulder.

"Who are they?" Thatch asked, and Ace looked at the small group of people who were circled by the hunters. They looked out of place, in odd fabrics and with strange scents, and Ace resisted the urge to run from them. They were bad news, his instincts said, but the humans couldn't seem to sense it.

No matter. Ace would just watch out for them in this case.

"I don't know," Ace said, and he felt Thatch look at him in worry. There was little Ace didn't know, and he didn't want to risk using his powers just now. If he used his powers then his control over his form might drop, and then the strangers would see a huge boitatá. They'd know, and Ace might not be able to control what happened after that.

It turned out that these people were from a foreign land. They were explorers, they said, searching for a cure for an illness that had taken many lives back on their home island. They spoke the native language well, though, a little too well for someone who was supposedly as foreign as these people, and Ace watched them from the shadows for days, eyes narrowed as the tribe became less wary and more accepting.

Ace didn't forget his mistrust though, and he brought it up with Marco one night, sharing food in Marco's tent.

"I don't like them," Ace admitted, and was surprised to hear Marco sigh.

"I know," he said, passing Ace a little meat. "I invited them here to keep an eye on them. The Chief knows this."

Ace nodded, the worry inside him dying down a little. At least Marco wasn't as stupid as some of his tribesmen.

"Did you find the nesting site?" Ace asked, remembering he'd given Marco details to a rare bird's site. Judging from the smile, Marco had gotten to see the birds.

"I did, thank you," he said, and he caught Ace's eye for a long moment. The air around them seemed to freeze, and suddenly nothing mattered but Marco.

Ace thought that attraction was a strange thing. While he wasn't really a human, he'd never felt attraction to any of his own species. Rather, it had only been Marco who had caught his attention, and only Marco who Ace had thought of in terms of companionship. It was a strange thing, Ace thought, but he'd accepted it for what it was, passing it off as something unimportant.

Now, though, with Marco staring at him with heat in his eyes, Ace thought about what he'd heard of human intimacy, desire, even love. Was it possible that Ace could have those things? He wanted them, but was it something he could really have?

"Marco," he said softly, and then Ace felt Marco move around the table. He pressed a warm hand to Ace's cheek, seeking permission, and Ace let himself be selfish. He could pass it off as curiosity if things worsened, he supposed, though he knew from the moment he kissed Marco that there was no going back on this.

It was a gentle kiss, something fledgling, though it burnt through Ace with a path of blazing desire. They fell backwards, Ace uncaring that the ground was hard or that Marco was heavy. His world had narrowed down, and all he wanted right now was Marco.

They didn't notice the time pass, and by the time Ace realised, it was too late.

"Marco," he said, hands clutching at the bed, Ace's eyes blind to the world as he tried to find Marco. "Marco, please," he said, and Ace didn't know how he'd survive here without sight. It was so different to his quiet cave, and there were so many risks here. Being safe was worth the loneliness, and Ace took a shaky breath as he felt Marco hold him.

"Were we too late?" Marco asked softly, and he sounded so regretful that it bit back Ace's panic. "I'm sorry, Ace," he said, stroking hair away from Ace's forehead.

Ace let himself be brought back down, and lay with his head against Marco's chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. It soothed him, calmed him in a way nothing else could, and Ace let himself drift back to sleep. It wasn't his cave, but he was safe in Marco's arms.

He stirred a little while later, Marco moving away from him.

"I need to fetch us some food and water," Marco explained, and Ace relaxed. Marco had made sure that his days were clear now, his duties taking place at night and often with Ace in tow, which meant he had Marco to himself. "I'm also going to the toilet, so I might be a little longer."

Marco kissed him, and Ace smiled. He couldn't wait for the night, to be able to see again, and vowed that he'd keep his eyes open all night, if just to memorise Marco's face.

He decided to lay back and think about somewhere he could take Marco that night, and it wasn't long before the tent opened again.

"I was thinking I could take you to my cave," Ace said, humming to himself as Marco shifted. He didn't seem to be putting anything down, and Ace thought he was waiting for more explanation. He sat up, staring in a direction he hoped was where Marco stood.

"It's a thermal cave," Ace explained, smiling. "Not too far from here, by one of the cacao trees. A lot of capuchins live around there, so if you're in doubt, just follow them."

Ace paused, listening for a reaction. There was nothing, and then the shift of the tent. Marco's presence had vanished, and Ace frowned to himself. He was sure Marco had been there, but this didn't make any sense.

It was a few minutes later that the tent opened again, and he heard Marco humming to himself.

"I got us some of the best meat," he said gleefully, and an uneasy feeling settled in Ace's stomach.

"Marco," he said quietly, and Marco paused in the middle of explaining he'd had to fight Thatch for the meat. "Were you here a little while ago?"

"No," Marco said, and Ace heard the sound of things being placed down on the table. He heard Marco walk over to the bed, then felt a hand on his own, worry radiating off of Marco. "Is everything okay?"

Ace nodded, rolling his eyes for added effect.

"It was the wind then," he said, with far more confidence than he felt.

The unease remained.

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Ace had decided it was best to return to his cave when Marco left on a hunt. They'd both agreed it was the best decision, but it didn't mean either of them was happy.

"I wish you could come," Marco said quietly, in the privacy of his (their, Marco insisted) tent. Ace nodded solemnly, shifting irritably between a hummingbird and jaguar.

"Me too," Ace said, rolling on the ground in his human form. "But at least the cave will smell like you now."

They'd visited the cave a few times, and Ace knew he'd be falling asleep to Marco's scent that day. At least he'd sleep well. Besides, he needed to move some of the rocks and tidy up some plants that had no business growing where they were.

Ace lingered for as long as he could, and eventually snuck off through the trees, careful not to let the strangers (they would forever be strangers) see him. Ace didn't know what they thought of him, but they didn't seem to know what he really was, which was for the best. People might have warmed to them, but it seemed they knew who to trust and who to be wary with. Boitatá were legends, after all, and legends held great glory.

When he returned to his cave, Ace could feel Marco all around him, and he fell asleep quickly, soaking up the warmth of the cave in his snake form. He dreamt of Marco catching a strange creature, one with fangs that seemed to snap from every angle, and it seemed to emanate an odd, fog-like substance.

Ace woke with a hiss, realising the fog wasn't fog at all, but a herb-infused smoke. He recognised it at once. It was a human hunting technique, a combination of plants that were used to confuse and smoke out an animal. Ace hissed, fury pouring through him, and he knew his best chance of getting through this was to show these pitiful humans how powerful a boitatá really was.

Ace had no doubt about who these people were. He could sense them, their essence tainting his cave, and Ace let his flames spark his scales, covering himself in a deadly fire as the humans stepped into his line of sight.

"So it's true," one of them said with a breathy gasp, shadowed eyes looking up as Ace flicked his tongue out. "You are a fire-snake."

While the man's voice held reverence, the knife he held out spoke of why they were here, the coolness of the metal something Ace could sense even without his eyes. To kill Ace then, was why they were here, and he'd let his location slip back when he'd thought their leader was Marco. He recognised the man, now he was focusing, and Ace flicked his tongue out, sensing the man while he was still blind

"We've come to kill you," their leader said, and Ace remembered him calling himself Blackbeard, laughing about the similarity between his and the welcoming Chief's name. Perhaps he'd been targeting them for longer than anyone had known, and Ace knew he'd kill these men here. He wanted to protect the tribe he called family.

"You are traitors," Ace hissed, drawing his head back.

He was about to strike, when something hit him. There was a huge bang, a strange scent, and then a blazing pain in Ace's side as he moved forward, fangs cutting into one of the men, fire dancing in his venom and literally burning the man to a crisp from the inside out. He didn't have time to even scream.

Still, his death was nothing compared to the pain Ace felt, and he writhed back, trying to understand his wound. He wouldn't know until he could see again, though, and if they kept attacking him like that, not even Ace would be able to survive.

He could shift to a smaller size, but he didn't know what would happen to the wound. It might grow, it might cover something vital – no it was best to stay as a boitatá for now, even if that made him an easier target. Magic coursed most strongly through this form too, protecting him better than any armour.

"Never seen a gun, have you," Blackbeard hissed, and Ace could picture the grin on his face. It was sickening, and he hissed, curling up as magic began to heal his wound. He could feel his scales shifting, trying to reject whatever they had fired at him, and Ace knew it would be long before he could get rid of Blackbeard once and for all.

"It doesn't matter," Ace said, feeling the shift in the air. The night was coming, his sight would return, and he'd be able to see these humans and be able to understand their weapons. At the moment, his senses were a little off due to the herbs Blackbeard had brought in, and Ace wondered how many of his kin this one man had slaughtered.

"It does," Blackbeard said, and there was a strange sound. It was like the click of stone on stone, but more metallic, and Ace's fire blazed along his scales with a furious intensity.

There was an explosion of noise as the weapons, guns, fired at Ace. He could feel the heaviness around him, but he was helpless to move as multiple objects cut into his flesh. He hissed in pain, ducking down and trying to burn the metal balls out, but it was simply too much. The pain was unbearable, and Ace's magic didn't understand how to deal with these weapons.

He just had to hold out a little longer, Ace told himself. If he could hold out until the night, he'd understand everything. These humans would be nothing under his wrath, if he could just hold on.

Blackbeard's footsteps were heavy, and Ace tried to move back. He could feel his cave around him, closing in on him, and the pain made him slow. There was no way Ace would get out of this, and he prepared to launch himself at Blackbeard. He could sense the knife in Blackbeard's hand, and Ace was willing to risk another serious wound if he could just get away from Blackbeard for a while more. Along his scales, Ace's magic hummed as it began to heal him, the vanishing daylight powering its skill. He'd be okay, Ace knew, so what was one more wound?

Still a little hazy, Ace waited. Blackbeard was there, moving towards him, and Ace could hear the sounds of footsteps, hear someone call. He tensed his body, trying to focus on the knife Blackbeard held, and narrowed his senses to hone in on that, prepared to flee.

Ace never got the chance to, though. Every muscle tensed in shock as he heard a strange grunt from Blackbeard, then the scent of human blood hit him. There was something else as well, something familiar, and Ace strained all of his senses to understand what had just happened. The cave was almost silent, the sound of his own flames ringing in Ace's ears, and it was only when his sight began to return to him that Ace could see and understand what had happened.

"No," he whispered, panic flaring in him. His magic blazed as it began absorbing knowledge of guns and human injuries, Ace's blindness subsiding for the night. He shook his head, hands shaking as he shifted into human form, looking down at the bodies on his cave floor.

He would have been okay, Ace thought. He would have gotten away from Blackbeard and he would have been fine, so why-

Ace inhaled sharply. He blinked, tears clouding his vision, before he knelt down. He resisted the urge to kick Blackbeard away, and instead turned his attention to someone he'd never wanted to see like this.

It was Marco. Of course it was, there was no one else who Ace could have envisioned to be this brave, this stupid. Marco had stopped Blackbeard, letting the knife tear a mark across his stomach instead of letting it cut into Ace. Marco, who had realised Ace was in danger and acted upon his instincts. Marco who Ace couldn't let leave this world like this.

There was still time. Marco was still clinging to life, though he had barely much time. Ace drew himself back, this time moving Blackbeard out of the way and shifting into his snake form. He closed his eyes, letting his fire die down for a moment, before his body shuddered, loosening skin from his scales.

There was a lone circumstance that boitatá shed their skins rather than burning them, and Ace had never thought he'd use it. There were many inaccurate legends of the boitatá, but there was one that spoke of love. A boitatá that shed its skin and allowed another to wear that skin would allow that creature to become a boitatá. If Ace let Marco wear his skin, he would change Marco into his own kin. Marco would become a shapeshifter, a fire-snake, a creature of unparalleled wisdom.

He would also be bonded to Ace for life.

There was no hesitation in it for Ace, though. It wasn't a question, either. Marco was there, bleeding out on Ace's cave, and he had to do something. Saving Marco was the only option, and all the knowledge in the world could only give Ace one solution.

Besides, there was no one else Ace could ever really share his life with. It was Marco or nothing, he'd realised long ago, and it was easy to slip the skin around Marco.

Nothing happened at first, but Ace knew it would be alright. His magic, still fixing the last of his wounds, pushing the small, metal balls out, reassured him Marco would live, that this mess would be sorted out, and he trusted it. He let his fire dance against his skin as he watched the skin tighten, sink into Marco's skin and settle. For a moment, Ace could see Marco as a human, but with scales, and he held his breath. His skin cleared, returning to its deep, dark colour, without any of the dullness Marco had acquired while bleeding out, and the wound across his stomach was little more than a line of well-healed skin.

There was no movement, other than the steady rise and fall of Marco's chest, so Ace sat back, human form more comforting to him at the moment. He wanted to be able to hold Marco when he awoke, and a snake form never quite did the job.

Marco still didn't stir by midnight, so Ace began cleaning the cave. He dragged the bodies of Blackbeard and his men outside, calling to the jungle to come claim them. Animals that would normally fight with or run from each other came forwards, and soon Blackbeard and his men were nothing but a good meal. Ace thanked his fellow creatures, ignoring the heavy feeling in his chest.

Next, he needed to clean the blood off of the cave floor. It was an annoying but distracting task, and Ace finished quickly, left without anything to do. A brief thought of heading down to see Whitebeard crossed his mind, but Ace's place was here. Whitebeard no doubt knew something was amiss, but Ace couldn't bear to leave Marco. Not just yet.

It was nearing dawn that Marco coughed, breath wheezing in his chest. Ace, who had been staring out at the trees, was at his side instantly, worry pooling in his stomach.

"Ace," Marco said hurriedly, eyes darting around the cave. He calmed as Ace reached him, taking his hand and pulling Marco against his chest.

"I'm okay," Ace said quickly, the words rushing from him with relief as he felt Marco wrap an arm around him, pulling him close. "We're both okay."

Dawn began to wrap around them, and as Ace's world began to dim, he felt Marco stiffen. Pulling back slightly so he could sit down, laying them back and resting his cheek on Marco's shoulder, Ace began to explain.

"You were dying," Ace said gently, and the arm around his back jerked. "The only way to save you was to change you. I'm not sorry," Ace added firmly, truthfully. He knew Marco would understand, even in the growing light.

"You're like me now," Ace continued, and his sight faded entirely.

"Ace," Marco said, and he felt Marco shift, thumbs running over Ace's jaw clumsily. "I would do anything to protect you," he whispered, and Ace smiled as Marco kissed him. It was a little awkward, and Marco kissed more of his chin than his lips, but it was full of love and acceptance, warmer than any fire Ace had ever conjured.

"I love you," Marco said, nose resting against Ace's cheek. "And you saved me as much as I saved you."

Ace didn't want to point out that Marco wouldn't have needed saving if he hadn't been so reckless. He laughed instead, worry finally dissipating as they lay there.

That night, they'd visit Whitebeard. They'd spend their days and nights in the village, together with their family, returning to the jungle when the clans grew and merged. While they faded into legend and myth in human minds, Ace and Marco would sit on the edge of their cave and watch their home, their jungle, and know that no other life could have been as fulfilling as theirs.

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